Sometimes a viral video on YouTube can take a while to properly get going, as demonstrated by the unusual fan tribute video to American field reporter Gustavo Almodovar, notable during his newscasting career for an unusual sign-off move.

While it is no ‘Stay classy San Diego’, Almodovar, either instinctively or deliberately, had a habit of taking the time-honoured tradition of a reporter closing off a report by stating their name, but with a twist that made it stand out above the rest. Working for ABC Central Florida’s affiliate network WFTV in 2008, he concluded all pieces in a signature manner by raising his right eyebrow turning his head to the left while putting a strong emphasis on his surname.

A fan of this trait paid tribute by creating a repetitive compilation of the many times Almodovar ended a broadcast this way a few days after the reporter quit from his position with the network, though the video did not receive much attention until a user of Reddit discovered it in late 2012, with the original clip now on just over 1 million views.

46-year-old Almodovar, who is now a ‘marketing brand manager’ for the Florida Hospital in Orlando (USA), said of those days when he was ‘on TV’ and the compliation video taking off: “I’m not so sure it’s worthy of the attention it has received. Aside from friends and a few co-workers teasing me about the video, life has been quite ordinary. It’s like bubble gum. People will chew it for a little while, toss it and move on.”

He added of the inspiration behind his sign-off: “There was an anchor at KCBS in Los Angeles in the late 1990s who, with his authoritative baritone voice, would deliver the toss to me in much the same way as you see in the video, without raising the eyebrow or turning his head.”

And of course, you won’t need to turn your heads either, simply scroll down to see the best of this ex-journalist in action. I think I might have forgotten his name already, what was it again?